Treatment Guideline Adherence Research Articles

P-1708. Frontline Febrile Neutropenia Antibiotic Treatment Across Institution Types: A Multicenter Survey Study

Abstract Background American Society of Clinical Oncology febrile neutropenia guidelines highlight the importance of quick empiric antipseudomonal coverage, and use of gram-positive active agents only in special circumstances. Despite this, first line vancomycin use increased over the years, thus, our study hoped to gain information on how institutions treat febrile neutropenia and if any patterns emerge between institution types. Methods A survey was distributed via email to IDSA and ACCP listservs. A survey tool was used for survey questions and to collect responses pertaining to febrile neutropenia management, institution demographics, and routine antibiotics used. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data as indicated. Results Eighty-four survey results were included in the analysis. When comparing academic medical centers (AMC) to non-AMCs there was more initial oncology responsibility for treatment (50.9% vs 22.6%; p-value = 0.047) and less empiric MRSA coverage (p-value = 0.039). When comparing institutions with > 500 beds to those with < = 500 beds similar results were seen with more initial oncology responsibility (53.2% vs 25%; p-value = 0.047), and more primary oncology responsibility in larger locations (70.2% vs 36.1%; p-value = 0.039), and less empiric MRSA coverage (p-value = 0.02). When comparing institutions with internal protocols versus without, there was less empiric MRSA coverage with a protocol (p-value = 0.006). No statistically significant difference in percentage of patients treated with MRSA or pseudomonal coverage were found when comparing service lines responsible for febrile neutropenia treatment. Conclusion Institution size or academic affiliation does not directly impact adherence to guidelines, internally published FN guidelines can increase adherence to IDSA/ASCO guidelines and are a modification that any institution can implement. Having a small sample size with perception-based data was a large limitation of this study, therefore future studies with larger sample sizes and concrete usage data could be pursued in the future to better understand febrile neutropenia treatment guideline adherence. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

P260 Real-world data on treatment patterns and guideline adherence in patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial bladder cancer (la/mUC) in Germany

P260 Real-world data on treatment patterns and guideline adherence in patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial bladder cancer (la/mUC) in Germany

Social Vulnerability and Receipt of Guideline-Concordant Care among Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Cancer outcome disparities have been reported in highly vulnerable communities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of social vulnerability with receipt of guideline-concordant care (GCC) and mortality risk for patients with colorectal cancer. This retrospective observational study identified patients with stage I-III colon or stage II-III rectal cancer between 2018 and 2020 from the National Program of Cancer Registries Database. Data were merged with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) at the county level. GCC was defined as stage-appropriate lymphadenectomy, radiation therapy, or systemic therapy. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression investigated associations of SVI, as a continuous and categorical variable stratified into quartiles, with GCC and 3-year cancer-specific mortality risk, respectively. Among 124,950 patients (colon, n=102,399; rectal, n=22,551), median SVI was 60.9 (IQR 35.0 to 79.5). Patients in the highest SVI quartile had 21% decreased odds of receiving GCC (95% CI 0.76 - 0.83). Treatment at Commission on Cancer (CoC) accredited hospitals was associated with increased GCC (OR 1.79; 95% CI 1.72 - 1.85). Although there was an inverse, decreasing association between SVI and probability of GCC, probability at non-CoC-accredited hospitals declined faster than at CoC-accredited hospitals (p<0.05). After adjusting for receipt of GCC, highly vulnerable patients treated at CoC-accredited hospitals had decreased mortality risk (HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.83 - 0.98). For highly vulnerable patients, treatment at CoC-accredited hospitals was associated with increased receipt of GCC and decreased mortality risk, which may reflect CoC-accreditation requirements for treatment guideline adherence, community engagement, and addressing barriers to care.

Audit of the Acute Management of Renal Colic in District Hospitals Within a National Health Service Trust.

Renal colic is a prevalent acute urological emergency caused by urinary stones and commonly manifests as severe loin pain. This audit assesses the management of acute renal colic at a National Health Service (NHS) Trust in the West Midlands, England, comparing practices against theNational Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) guidelines. This retrospective audit reviewed 417 patients with suspected renal colic over a month. Data collected included patients' demographics, time to complete CT scan, laboratory investigations requested and management modalities. Patients assessed were either admitted through the Emergency Department, Surgical Assessment Unit, or previously admitted for other conditions on the wards. The audit benchmarked against NICE and BAUS guidelines, focusing on diagnostic timeliness and management, including essential blood investigations. Data analysis performed using SPSS (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) included descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. A total of 417 patients met the inclusion criteria. The average age of patients was 47.4 years with slightly higher male population (51.1%). The diagnostic rate for renal or ureteric stones using computed tomography of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder (CT-KUB) was 41.2%. The positive detection rate was significantly higher in males (54%) compared to females (27.5%) while females have more alternate diagnosis than males (13.7% vs 6.1%). The average completion time of CT-KUB was nine hours with 7.7% of patients having their CT-KUB beyond the 24-hour benchmark. Most patients (48%) were managed conservatively with analgesia, 32% received tamsulosin as medical expulsive therapy and others had interventions like ureteric stent insertion (9.3%), nephrostomy (6.4%) or primary ureteroscopy (4.1%). The audit of renal colic management at our centre revealed a 41.2% diagnostic rate for renal or ureteric stones via CT-KUB, with a significantly higher rate in males than females. Diagnostic delays were minimal, with only 7.7% of scans exceeding 24 hours. Conservative management was common, however non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were underutilized despite guideline recommendations. There was a notable gender disparity in diagnostic and alternate findings rates. The results showed the need for adherence to pain management protocols and highlight the effectiveness of existing renal colic protocol, while also pointing to potential areas for improvement in treatment uniformity and guideline adherence.

Regional Disparities in Atrial Fibrillation Management: An IMPACT-AF Substudy

BackgroundIn rural regions, atrial fibrillation (AF) management is performed predominately by local primary care professionals (PCPs). Prior work has suggested that a disparity in outcomes in AF occurs for those patients living in a rural, vs urban, location. MethodsThis post hoc analysis of the cluster randomized trial Integrated Management Program Advancing Community Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (IMPACT-AF) compared a clinical decision support system to standard of care. Patients were classified as living in a rural (population < 10,000) or urban location. The outcomes were as follows: AF-related emergency department (ED) visits, unplanned cardiovascular (CV) hospitalizations, AF-related referrals and guideline adherence for AF treatment. ResultsA total of 1133 patients were enrolled from 2016 to 2018; 54.1% (n = 613) were classified as living in a rural location. No differences were present in age (mean, 72 ± 9.63 vs 72.5 ± 10.42 years) or Congestive Heart Failure, Hypertension, Age, Diabetes, Stroke/Transient Ischemic Attack (CHADS2) score (mean, 2.1 ± 1.36 vs 2.16 ± 1.34). Referral rates to general internists were higher in the rural population (13.4% vs 3.9%, P < 0.001), whereas the rate of cardiology referrals was higher in the urban population (10% vs 15%, P = 0.0098). At 12 months, no difference in the composite outcome of AF-related ED visits and CV hospitalizations was seen. Fewer recurrent AF-related ED visits and CV hospitalizations occurred in the urban group (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.65 [95% confidence interval (0.44, 0.95), P = 0.0262). The incidence of guideline adherence was similar between the rural (IRR, 3.7 ± 1.2) and urban (IRR, 3.6 ± 1.2; P = 0.11) groups. ConclusionsAF patients living in rural locations had higher rates of recurrent AF-related ED visits and unplanned CV hospitalizations. Further research to optimize AF-related outcomes is needed to ensure equitable delivery of care to all Canadians, irrespective of geography. Clinical Trial RegistrationNCT01927367.

Adherence to Congestive Heart Failure Guidelines and Outcome in the Middle East.

Adherence to Congestive Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (CHFrEF) guidelines is not easily attainable everywhere, particularly in countries with a high prevalence of low socioeconomic status, which includes many Middle Eastern countries. However, it is well-established that adherence to the guidelines is associated with lower mortality and morbidity rates. Our objective is to investigate the adherence to the degree of treatment guideline in CHFrEF within a patient population in the Middle East and correlate the level of compliance both fully and partially with morbidity and mortality outcomes. Methods and Statistics: We conducted a retrospective study on patients with CHFrEF in the Middle East region who were maintained on Sacubitril/Valsartan for up to 4 years (190 patients). This study included follow-up assessments for morbidity and mortality rates and their correlation with the level of adherence to guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS® 27th version. In both the partial adherence group and the full adherence group, there was a statistically significant improvement in NYHA (pretreatment and post-treatment) and Ejection fraction (pretreatment and posttreatment). This means that regardless of the level of adherence to the use of Sacubitril/Valsartan in CHFrEF, there was an overall improvement in the morbidity and mortality rates over the four years of follow-up. While we fully support the idea of achieving full CHFrEF guideline adherence, we recognize the difficulty of this task. Nevertheless, this study reinforces the notion that any degree of adherence to guideline is correlated with better morbidity and mortality rates over a long-term follow-up.

Evaluating Antibiotic Treatment Guideline Adherence to Ongoing Antibiotic Stewardship in a Tertiary Care Setting: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is widely regarded as an increasing threat to global public health. Antibiotic treatment guidelines have been increasingly recognized as an effective tool to guide appropriate prescriptions and help curtail antibiotic resistance. The present study aimed to assess physician's adherence to hospital antibiotic treatment guideline recommendations in Nepal and determine predictive variables with a significant association. This was a retrospective, monocentric observational review to investigate the adherence to endorsed guidelines using the medical records of adults admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI), pneumonia, or skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) from January 2018 to December 2019. Of the 2,077 medical records that were reviewed (954 UTI, 754 pneumonia, and 369 SSTI), 354 (17%) met the study inclusion criteria, which included 87 UTI, 180 pneumonia, and 87 SSTI patients. Among eligible patients with antibiotic prescriptions, the following were adherent to guideline recommendations: 33 (37.9%) UTI, 78 (43.3%) pneumonia, and 23 (26.4%) SSTI. The overall extent of adherence to hospital antibiotic treatment guidelines for the use of antibiotics among adult inpatients diagnosed with these common infections was 37.9%. Patients who received ceftriaxone (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.18-3.71, p=0.012) and levofloxacin (OR = 4.63, 95% CI = 1.30-16.53, p=0.018) had significantly higher adherence to treatment guidelines. This study revealed a low adherence rate despite the availability of updated guidelines for antibiotic prescriptions. The findings confer an urgent need to confront antibiotic prescription patterns in such tertiary care centers for tailored interventions to improve adherence to antibiotic guidelines.

Underutilization of guideline-recommended therapy in patients 80 years and older with peripheral artery diseases

Abstract Background Ageing is a major cardiovascular risk factor with detrimental pathophysiological changes that culminate in a high atherosclerotic burden. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a major manifestation of atherosclerosis with high mortality. Guideline-recommended treatment is essential, however implementation is inadequate. With an ageing society, age-related inequalities are important and have not been elucidated in a high-risk PAD population on a nation-wide scale. We sought to analyse the outpatient treatment structures and guideline adherence in treatment of PAD patients older than 80 year of age. Purpose Aim of the study was to identify age-based inequalities in outpatient treatment care and pharmacotherapy in PAD patients. Methods We analyzed age-related differences in prevalence, pharmacotherapy (statins, antiplatelets) and treatment by specialized outpatient care (angiology, vascular surgery, internal medicine, cardiology) in 17,633,970 patients with PAD and statutorily insurance presenting to outpatient care facilities in Germany between 2009 and 2018. The study is based on ambulatory claims data of the panel doctors’ services according to §295 SGB V and drug prescription data according to §300 SGB V, comprising 70.1 million patients per year. Diagnosis of PAD was defined upon medical diagnoses of PAD ICD. Statistical analysis was performed with chi-squared test for trend and two-way Anova. Results Of 17,633,970 PAD patients included, 28% were older than 80 years. PAD prevalence increased between 2008 and 2019 (1.85% vs 3.14%), with the proportion of the elderly increasing by a third (24.4% vs 31.2%). Octogenarians were undertreated regarding guideline-recommended statin pharmacotherapy compared to younger patients throughout the observed 10 year time frame (statins 2016: 46.5% vs 52.4%; antiplatelets 2016 30.6% vs 29.3%; p &amp;lt; 0.05). Furthermore, octogenarians received less specialized outpatient care (angiology: 6.4% vs 9.5%, vascular surgery: 8.1% vs 11.8%, cardiology: 25.2% vs 29.2%, p &amp;lt; 0.05). Conclusions Our results demonstrate that age-related differences in pharmacotherapy and specialized outpatient care of PAD patients are evident. While overall guideline-recommended outpatient treatment is low, patients 80 years and older are less likely to receive both, leaving age-related health inequalities a challenge of our future.

Underutilization of guideline-recommended therapy in patients 80 years and older with peripheral artery diseases.

Background: Ageing is a major cardiovascular risk factor with detrimental changes that culminate in a high atherosclerotic burden. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a major manifestation of atherosclerosis with high mortality. Guideline-recommended treatment is essential, however implementation is inadequate. With an ageing society, age-related inequalities are important and have not been elucidated in a high-risk PAD population on a nation-wide scale. We sought to analyse outpatient treatment structures and guideline adherence in treatment of PAD patients older than 80 years. Patients and methods: The study is based on ambulatory claims data comprising 70.1 million statutorily insured patients per year in Germany from 2009 to 2018. We analysed age-related differences in prevalence, pharmacotherapy and specialized outpatient care in PAD patients. Results: Of 17,633,970 PAD patients included, 28% were older than 80 years. PAD prevalence increased between 2008 and 2018 (1.85% vs. 3.14%), with the proportion of older patients increasing by a third (24.4% vs. 31.2%). Octogenarians were undertreated regarding guideline-recommended statin pharmacotherapy compared to younger patients while antiplatelets were prescribed more often (statins 2016: 46.5% vs. 52.4%; antiplatelets 2016 30.6% vs. 29.3%; p<.05). Furthermore, octogenarians received less specialized outpatient care (angiology: 6.4% vs. 9.5%, vascular surgery: 8.1% vs. 11.8%, cardiology: 25.2% vs. 29.2%, p<.05). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that age-related differences in pharmacotherapy and specialized outpatient care of PAD patients are evident. While overall guideline-recommended outpatient treatment is low, patients 80 years and older are less likely to receive both, leaving age-related health inequalities a challenge of our future.

Understanding melanoma in situ: Lentigo maligna surgical treatment terminology and guideline adherence, a targeted review

Malignant melanoma in-situ, lentigo maligna (MMIS-LM) can be successfully treated with several different surgical techniques; however, the literature is inconsistent in defining them. To comprehensively define and describe the national guideline recommended surgical techniques used to treat MMIS-LM to help clarify and standardize this terminology to ensure compliance with the guidelines. A targeted literature review was performed from 1990 to 2022 focusing on articles that discussed the national guideline recommended surgical techniques of wide local excision, Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), modified Mohs surgery, and staged excision/Slow-Mohs for MMIS-LM, as well as the related methods of tissue processing. National Comprehensive Cancer Network and American Academy of Dermatology guidelines were reviewed to identify how the techniques need to be employed to be compliant with guideline recommendations. We describe the various surgical and tissue processing techniques and discuss advantages and disadvantages of each. This paper was styled as a narrative review defining and clarifying terminology and technique and does not investigate these topics more broadly. Understanding the methodology and terminology for these surgical procedures and tissue processing methods is critical so that both general dermatologists and surgeons can employ these techniques effectively for optimal patient care.

Association of guideline adherence in diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with survival.

e16241 Background: Clinical guidelines and their adherence are important instruments to ensure quality in diagnosis and treatment, especially when treating rare diseases like pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNET). However, data on guideline adherence and its impact on outcome in PanNET is limited. Methods: Cases of PanNET according to 2017 WHO definition at our university hospital between 2010 and 2019 were retrospectively identified. Adherence to ENETS guideline 2007/2012 and the German S2k guideline was evaluated among four categories (diagnostics: chromogranin A (CgA) testing, somatostatin receptor imaging, discussion in an interdisciplinary tumor board; pathology: reporting of grading, Ki67 and synaptophysin expression; surgical treatment; systemic treatment including aftercare). Guideline adherence within these categories was valued with one point per fulfilled criterion and a final score between 0-8 points was calculated. Data was analyzed using Student’s t-test, Chi-square test and Spearman’s correlation coefficient test. Results were considered significant at α = 0.05. Results: Overall, 115 patients (47% female) with a diagnosis of PanNET were identified. Mean age was 61 (±13.5) years. Mean overall survival (OS) was 45 months, mean recurrence free survival (RFS) was 47 months. During the study period 21 patients (18%) had died, 6 patients (5%) were lost-to-follow-up and 11 patients (10%) had a recurrent disease after initially curative resection. 24 patients (21%) presented with metastatic disease upon diagnosis. Guideline adherence concerning pathology reports (97%) as well as systemic (91%) and surgical treatment (75%) was high, while complete adherence in diagnostic modalities was low (5%). However, the latter was mainly driven by lack of CgA testing (31%), and somatostatin receptor imaging (11%) not being performed on initial diagnosis, but in most cases during follow-up. Subsequently, complete guideline adherence (8/8) across all categories was rare (3%). However, a higher overall score was associated with survival (p = 0.032, V = 0.321). Long term survivors had a higher mean overall adherence score (5.6 vs. 6.1; p = 0.05). In addition, the composite score of surgical and systemic therapy was significantly correlated with RFS (ρ = 0.254, p = 0.016). Conclusions: The quality in diagnosis and treatment of PanNET in our cohort was high. These are the first data to demonstrate a positive impact of guideline adherence on survival and RFS in PanNET.

Treatment Guideline Nonadherence Pretransport Associated With Need for Higher Level of Care in Children Transferred to a Pediatric Tertiary Care Center for Status Epilepticus.

We sought to investigate the association between adherence to the American Epilepsy Society (AES) 2016 guidelines for management of convulsive status epilepticus (SE) and clinical outcomes among children requiring interhospital transport for SE. We hypothesized that pretransport guideline nonadherence would be associated with needing higher level of care posttransfer. This was a retrospective cohort study of children aged 30 days to 18 years transferred to our pediatric tertiary center from 2017 to 2019 for management of SE. Their care episodes were classified as 2016 American Epilepsy Society guideline adherent or nonadherent. There were 40 referring hospitals represented in this cohort. Of 260 care episodes, 55 (21%) were guideline adherent, 184 (71%) were guideline nonadherent, and 21 (8%) had insufficient data to determine guideline adherence. Compared with the adherent group, patients in the nonadherent care group had longer hospitalizations (32 hours [17-68] vs 21 hours [7-48], P = 0.006), were more likely to require intensive care unit admission (47% vs 31%), and less likely to be discharged home from the emergency department (16% vs 35%; χ 2 test, P = 0.01). Intubation rates did not differ significantly between groups (25% vs 18%, P = 0.37). When we fit a multivariable model to adjust for confounding variables, guideline nonadherence was associated with need for higher level of care (odds ratio, 2.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-3.99). Treatment guideline adherence did not improve over the 3-year study period (2017: 22%, 2018: 19%, 2019: 29% [χ 2 test for differences between any 2 years, P = 0.295]). Guideline nonadherence pretransport was associated with longer hospitalizations and need for higher level of care among children transferred for SE at our institution. These findings suggest a need to improve SE guideline adherence through multifaceted quality improvement efforts targeting both the prehospital and community hospital settings.

1779. An Assessment of Antibiotic Treatment Guideline Adherence for Common Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital with an Established Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract Background Antibiotic treatment guidelines have been increasingly recognized as an effective tool to guide appropriate prescriptions and help curtail antibiotic resistance. We aimed to assess the quality of inpatient antibiotic prescribing practices for common infections in a tertiary centre in Kathmandu. Methods We conducted a retrospective monocentric review of medical records of adult inpatients diagnosed with Urinary Tract Infection; Pneumonia; and Skin and soft tissue infection between January 2018 till December 2019. Adherence was defined as the prescription of antibiotics for mentioned infection fulfilling the correct choice, correct dose, and correct duration of therapy. Flow diagram 1 Medical Records Review to assess adherence to guideline Results Clinical records of 354 inpatients were included in the analysis. Overall, 37.9% of antibiotic prescriptions were adherent to guideline recommendations. The non-adherent groups also had a higher proportion of patients in the age group between 45 and 60 years (66%, OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.09-3.21, p=0.2) and with the presence of co-morbidities (58%, OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26-0.75, p&amp;lt; 0.1). The department categories, gender, number of comorbidities, infectious disease diagnosis, and history of antibiotic drug allergy had no significant effect reported on adherence. Incorrect selection (20%, or: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.07-0.79, p=0.19) and incorrect antibiotic dosage (21%, OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.08-0.82, p=0.02) were prescribed among patients diagnosed with urinary tract infection. Likewise, an incorrect dosage of antibiotics (40%, OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.07-0.97, p=0.05) was prescribed for patients with pneumonia. Pneumonia (52%) and urinary tract infection (32%, p&amp;lt; 0.01) had more de-escalations, while the antibiotic spectrum prescribed was significantly broad (81%, p&amp;lt; 0.001). Study Schema Conclusion Our study revealed low adherence despite the availability of the updated guideline for an antibiotic prescription. These data demand an urgent need to confront the antibiotic prescription pattern in the tertiary care centres for tailored interventions to improve adherence to guidelines, particularly focusing on prescriptions of antibiotic types and in the elderly population. It is also an imperative to reduce the broad-spectrum antibiotic exposure to the patients with acute infections guided by the culture reports. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Anaphylaxis Management Through a Video-Based Educational Tool.

Introduction: We aimed to develop and test the effectiveness of an education tool to help pediatric patients and their families better understand anaphylaxis and its management, and to improve current knowledge and treatment guidelines adherence. Methods: From June 2019 to May 2022, 128 pediatric patients with history of food-triggered anaphylaxis who presented to the allergy outpatient clinics at the study institution were recruited. Consenting families were asked to complete 6 questions related to the triggers, recognition, and management of anaphylaxis at the time of presentation to the clinic. Participants were shown a 5-min animated video on the causes, presentation, and management of anaphylaxis. At the end of the video, the participants were redirected to the same 6 questions to respond again. The scores were recorded in proportion of correct answers (minimum 0.0; maximum 1.0). Results: The mean age of the patients was 5.8 ± 4.5 years (range: 0.5-18.8 years). The majority were males (70 patients; 54.7%). The mean baseline prevideo education questionnaire score was 0.76 ± 0.2 (range: 0.3-1.0), whereas the mean follow-up score was 0.82 ± 0.2 (range: 0.3-1.0). This score difference of 0.06 was statistically significant (P < 0.001). There were no significant associations between change in scores and age or gender of the participants. Conclusion: Our video teaching method was successful in educating patients and their families to better understand anaphylaxis and its management at the moment of the clinical encounter. Retention of knowledge at long-term follow-up should be assessed.

Clinical pharmacist interventions in ambulatory psychogeriatric patients with excessive polypharmacy

Psychogeriatric primary care patients are frequently treated with excessive polypharmacy (≥ 10 medications), leading to complications and increased costs. Such cases are rarely included in treatment guidelines and randomized controlled trials. This paper evaluates the impact of clinical pharmacist medication reviews on the quality of pharmacotherapy in primary care psychogeriatric patients with excessive polypharmacy. The retrospective observational multicentric pre-post study included patients (aged 65 or above) treated with at least one psychotropic and ten or more medications. Clinical pharmacists’ recommendations were retrieved from medication review forms for the period 2012⁠–⁠2014. The study outcome measures were the number of medications, potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly (PIMs), potential drug-drug interactions which should be avoided (pXDDIs), and adherence to treatment guidelines. The study included 246 patients receiving 3294 medications, of which 14.6% were psychotropics. The clinical pharmacists proposed 374 interventions in psychopharmacotherapy. The general practitioners accepted 45.2% of them (169). Accepting clinical pharmacist recommendations reduced the total number of medications by 7.5% from 13.4 to 12.4 per patient (p < 0.05), the total number of prescribed PIMs by 21.8% from 312 to 244 (p < 0.05), the number of pXDDIs by 54.9% from 71 to 31 (p < 0.05) and also improved treatment guidelines adherence for antidepressants and antipsychotics (p < 0.05). Clinical pharmacist interventions significantly improved the quality of psychopharmacotherapy by reducing the total number of medications, PIMs, and pXDDIs. Accepting clinical pharmacist interventions led to better treatment guidelines adherence.

Pediatric Antibiotic Stewardship for Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Pre-Post Intervention Study.

We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) on antibiotic prescription in children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Antibiotic purchasing data were collected for children aged 3 months to 18 years diagnosed with CAP from November 2016 to April 2017 (pre-intervention period) and from November 2017 to April 2018 (post-intervention period). The intervention was a 1-day seminar for primary care pediatricians on the diagnosis and treatment of CAP in children according to national guidelines. There was a substantial decrease in the use of azithromycin after the intervention. In younger children, there was a 42% decrease, alongside an increased use of amoxicillin (P < .001). In older children, there was a smaller, non-statistically significant decrease in the use of azithromycin (P = .45). Our data demonstrate that the implementation of an ASP was associated with a reduction in the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and macrolides and increased guideline adherence for the safe treatment of CAP.

Severity distribution and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China: baseline results of an observational study

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receives low awareness and is undertreated in China. Understanding the burden and treatment of COPD across the nation is important for improving quality of care for this disease. This study aims to reveal the current situation of COPD severity distribution and management across China.MethodsBaseline data from REALizing and Improving Management of Stable COPD in China, a multicentre, prospective, longitudinal, observational study, were analysed. Patients diagnosed with COPD as per Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2016 (GOLD 2016) criteria were enrolled from 50 randomly selected hospitals (tertiary, 25; secondary, 25) across six geographical regions. Data were collected in routine clinical settings.ResultsBetween 30 June 2017 and 29 January 2019, 5013 patients were enrolled and 4978 included in the full analysis set. Of these, 2459 (49.4%) reported ≥ 1 exacerbation within 12 months prior to study enrolment, with a mean annual rate of 0.9/patient, including 0.2/patient and 0.5/patient leading to emergency room visits and hospitalisation, respectively. Spirometry graded 458 (10.1%), 1886 (41.7%), 1558 (34.5%), and 616 (13.6%) were GOLD stage I–IV, and 536 (11.4%), 1034 (22.0%), 563 (12.0%), and 2566 (54.6%) were classified as GOLD 2016 Group A–D, respectively, without evident regional variations. Inhaled corticosteroids plus long-acting beta2-agonist (ICS/LABA, 1316 [26.4%]), ICS/LABA plus long-acting muscarinic antagonist (ICS/LABA + LAMA, 871 [17.5%]), and LAMA (754 [15.1%]) were prescribed at high rates across all groups and regions. Medications not recommended by GOLD were commonly prescribed (TCM, 578 [11.6%]; others, 951 [19.1%]), and 681 (13.7%) were not given ICS or long-acting bronchodilators.ConclusionsDisease burden among Chinese COPD outpatients is high. Improved guideline adherence for COPD treatment is needed.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT03131362.

Relevance of multi-disciplinary team approach in diagnosis and management of Stage III NSCLC.

Lung cancer is reported as the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) constitutes 80%-85% of all lung cancers. Diagnosis of NSCLC is a complex multistep process. The prognosis of NSCLC is poor as most of the patients are presented at the metastatic stage. The management of these patients needs the expertise of different specialists. A multidisciplinary team (MDT) comprising specialists from different disciplines has a substantial role in improving outcomes in these patients. This is feasible through extensive discussions, accurate evaluation of patients, reviewing medical records, implementing ideal treatment strategies, and merging local treatments with systemic treatment concepts. Therefore, the MDT approach for stage III NSCLC management can enable early treatment initiation, optimal treatment modalities, and reduce healthcare expenditure. Studies have shown that MDT can provide multimodality care facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of stage III NSCLC, resulting in survival benefit of these patients. Thus, it is imperative to collate scientific evidence to get an insight into the MDT approach in advanced NSCLC treatment. This review aims to summarize the impact of MDT on treatment rates, survival outcome, treatment guideline adherence, and quality of life (QoL) of stage III NSCLC patients.

Outcome analysis of primary breast cancer patients who declined adjuvant chemotherapy\u2014results from the prospective multi-center BRENDA II study

BackgroundThis study examined 5-year overall, recurrence and distant metastasis-free survival (OS, RFS, MFS) of high- and intermediate-risk breast cancer (BC) patients who declined guideline-recommended adjuvant chemotherapy (CHT).MethodsIn the prospective multicenter cohort study BRENDA II, patients with primary BC were sampled over a period of four years (2009–2012). A multi-professional team (tumorboard) discussed recommendation for adjuvant CHT according to the German guideline. Potential differences in 5 year survival were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression. The hazard ratios (HR) were adjusted for age, Charlson Comorbidity Score, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) physical status classification, and endocrine therapy.ResultsA total of 759 patients were enrolled of which 688 could receive CHT according to the guidelines (n = 219 had a clear indication, in n = 304 it was possible). For 360 patients, the tumorboard advised to perform CHT, for 304 it advised against and in 24 cases, no decision was documented. Of those with a positive suggestion, 83% received CHT. Until 5 years after diagnosis, 57 patients were deceased, 41 had at least one distant metastasis and 29 a recurrence. There was no evidence for differences in OS and MFS in patients who declined CHT despite tumorboard recommendation (HR 3.5, 95% CI 0.8–15.1 for OS, HR 1.9, 95% 0.6–6.6 for MFS). Patients who received CHT had significantly better 5-year RFS compared to those who declined (HR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1–0.9, p = 0.03). There was no evidence for different survival in those who had no CHT because of comorbidity and those who declined actively, neither for OS, MFS nor RFS.ConclusionThe prospective BRENDA II study demonstrates benefit in RFS by guideline adherence in adjuvant breast cancer treatment, indicating prospectively the value of internationally validated guidelines in breast cancer care.

Seasonal Variation of Atrial Fibrillation Admission and Quality of Care in the United States.

BackgroundCurrently, little is known regarding seasonal variation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in the United States and whether quality of care for AF varies between seasons.Methods and ResultsThe GWTG‐AFib (Get With The Guidelines–AFib) registry was initiated by the American Heart Association to enhance national guideline adherence for treatment and management of AF. Our analyses included 61 291 patients who were admitted at 141 participating hospitals from 2014 to 2018 across the United States. Outcomes included numbers of AF admissions and quality‐of‐care measures (defect‐free care, defined as a patient’s receiving all eligible measures). For quality‐of‐care measures, generalized estimating equations accounting for within‐site correlations were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs, adjusting patient and hospital characteristics. The proportion of AF admissions for each season was similar, with the highest percentage of AF admissions being observed in the fall (spring 25%, summer 25%, fall 27%, and winter 24%). Overall, AF admissions across seasons were similar, with no seasonal variation observed. No seasonal variation was observed for incident AF. There were no seasonal differences in care quality (multivariable adjusted ORs and 95% CIs were 0.93 (0.87–1.00) for winter, 1.09 (1.01–1.18) for summer, and 1.08 (0.97–1.20) for fall, compared with spring).ConclusionsIn a nationwide quality improvement registry, no seasonal variation was observed in hospital admissions for AF or quality of care for AF.